Part 25 (2/2)

”I've been watching,” Angel said ”And we're also being watched by Ifugaos, on the terraces above the village”

Chahda looked into the hole doubtfully ”How you get in and out, Tony?

No ladder”

”The rope,” Tony said ”You'll have to lower me, or hold the rope so I can climb down”

”We'll lower you,” Scotty said He took the rope and ist to sit on the edge of the hole Tony did so, putting his foot through the loop Then Rick, Scotty, and Chahda payed out rope while the scientist let hie into the hole In a moment the rope went slack He was on the botto knife into the wall of the hole and hung his flashlight on it, the bea doard Then Tony took his shovel from his belt and probed the soft earth carefully

It was so soft that his boots sank in up to the ankles

Presently Tony called, ”So here Get a bucket” He worked with the shovel and unearthed a small, mud-covered object, then another, then a whole series of them

Scotty tied a bucket to the rope and lowered it Tony put the muddy collection in it and Scotty drew it up

”Send the rope back for me,” Tony called

The three boys helped to pull hiround with the bucket between his legs and started to clean his findings

”Rick,” he requested, ”getof cloths and brushes from my case, please?”

Rick did so Tony reloves Then brushes and cloths coold His eyes sparkled ”Typical, except for the gold The huao relic In fact, they suspend their musical instruments from human jawbones” He put it down carefully and started to work on the next object It turned out to be a pipe, again typical Ifugao work except for the fact that it was of gold

Rick exa like it before, but ht tobacco was an American product,” he observed ”How come these pri before the Indians introduced it to Europeans,”

Tony replied ”But it's curious that the pipe forms should be so similar That pipe was made by a processuse in As It is called the 'lost wax' process”

”Funny name,” Chahda said, interested

”Yes, until you know about the process The Ifugao makes the pipe he wants out of wax, then coats it with clay, leaving a hole in the clay

Then he puts the clay in the fire The clay hardens, but the wax ao, then, has a mold exactly like the pipe he old, in this case--and pours it into the clay mold When the metal cools, he breaks off the mold, and there is his pipe”

”Lost wax,” Scotty said ”You're right It fits”

At that el Manotok ca

Don't think I', please, but could ork faster? Perhaps talk about it later?”

Angel was right, of course Tony said, ”I shouldn't have taken the tis We'll collect them mud and all” He went back into the hole and worked rapidly, filling the buckets as fast as the boys could haul theht that the crypt probably was dry when the objects were first placed in it But the water used to irrigate the rice terraces had seeped through between the carefully selected stones that lined the pit, bringing fine particles of dirt and gradually building up a reservoir of mud in the bottoain, but the particles of soil reave a cry ”I think I have it!” He braced an object on his knee and wiped it ”It is! And by its weight, it's thick-walled but hollow! What a find! Boys, this is wonderful! Tremendous!”